December 23, 1951, Sunday

Pfc. Robt. Gimbel
U.S. ########
Prov. Co. 1265 A.P.O. 928
% Postmaster
San Francisco, California

Dear Mom and Dad,

Here's a letter to let you know I am still thinking of you all.
We left Wednesday the 19th at noon and the first thing right after dinner we hit a little storm and some ruff water. And the guys got sick.
I stayed on deck in the fresh air all afternoon.
The guys vomited all over in the compartments, on the steps to the upper deck.
You should of seen the mess and what a smell. 500 guys sure can mess up a place.
There's only 135 of us, and the rest is Air Corps and Sailors.
The fly boys and swabs got sicker than the G.Is. I didn't feel too bad, but not really normal. I came below deck, but the smell and mess was more than I could stand, so I walked back up to the top, vomited then went, down and went to bed.
I wouldn't have done it, but looking at the mess, anyone would have got sick.
The next day everyone was feeling well and in high spirits.
We have been on the water 5 days now and tomorrow afternoon we will be in Pearl Harbor, so we can spend Christmas Eve in Hawaii.
I didn't think I would ever spend it there but that's the way it goes.
It's 4800 miles to Philippines from Hawaii and we make 425 mile sin 24 hours.
There's a lot of water out here, in fact that's all there is.
We will be in the Philippines in a couple more weeks.
You can send my watch and camera out now.
The temperature is 78 degrees, nice and hot.
I think I'll do a lot of swimming as the water temperature is just the same.
Tell Russ all this and I'll write him later.
It's getting late so I better close pretty soon.
So, I hope you all have a swell Christmas and I am always thinking of you all, and it won't be too long and I miss you all, and I am having the warmest Christmas I've ever had or will ever have again.
so bye for now and loads of Love and Kisses.
Your Son,
Bob